End in sight for tearful injections

Imagine no screaming, fighting or threatening to get your child to sit still for an injection at the doctor.

According to a new study, needle phobia could soon be a thing of the past with the development of a smart new painless injection.

Canadian researchers at the University of Saskatchewan have found that a device which applies pressure and vibration before the injection needle punctures the skin, could significantly reduce the painful sensation that follows an injection. The vibrations and pressure close the “gate” that allows pain signals through to the brain.

The research is still in its infancy, and further tests are needed on children to confirm if the injection is effective on them, but researchers are confident their findings might mean the end of tearful trips to the doctor and dentist.

How to help ease children’s fear of needles:

- Distract the child by taking along a toy or keeping their attention by talking to them or pulling funny faces.

- Tell them to close their eyes and look away, and ask the doctor not to announce when he’s doing the injection. Often the anticipation is worse than the injection itself.

- Ask for an anaesthetic cream to be used. They help lessen the pain by numbing the area which needs to be injected.

- Don’t lie to the child. If your child asks if he’s going to get an injection at the doctor’s, be honest. Otherwise, he might feel betrayed and be even more distrustful and fearful of the doctor and needles.

- However, don’t tell the child about the appointment and injection too long in advance. This might cause anxiety.

- Let the experts take over: your child might be throwing a tantrum because of the reaction he gets from you. If he’s in hysterics, consider leaving the room for a while and letting a nurse deal with him.

- Be sympathetic and praise good behaviour: rub the affected area to ease the pain and tell the child you’re proud of him for being brave.

Source: Eurekalert, www.aboutkidshealth.ca, www.parents.com,

August 2017

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